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  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Jun 3 2024 9:24 AM

    News from the Multilingual Learners Department
    Hamden Public Schools

     June 2024: PARENT Summer Edition

    THANK YOU for all your support and involvement throughout the year. Whether it was helping with homework, joining us at our Building Communities Nights, attending parent-teacher meetings, or simply cheering on your child, your enthusiasm has made all the difference!

    Now it's time to relax and soak up the summer sun. We can't wait to hear all about your summer adventures when we reunite in the fall. Until then, have a blast and enjoy every moment!

    A group of people, mostly young adults and children, stand together on a wooden stage, holding certificates.

    EXIT AWARD CEREMONY

    Students who met the criteria of an Overall 4 and a 4 in both Read and Writing on the LAS Links Assessment have been invited to our Exit Award Ceremony that will take place on Thursday, May 30th at 8:00am at the Hamden Public Library (Thornton Wilder Auditorium) . Congratulations!

    SUMMER PROGRAM

    This year’s EL/ML Summer Program will be held from July 8-11, July 15-18, July 22-25, and July 29-August 1, 2024 (Monday-Thursday) from 9:00AM-12:00PM. This program is by invite only for newcomer students who are currently in grades K-5 (who are entering grades 1-6) or in grades 6-11 with a LAS Links Score of 1 & 2 and who have been enrolled in school for less than 2 years. 

    OUR FIRST-EVER FIELD TRIP FOR GRADES 4-6!

    On April 24, 2024, Grades 4-6 Multilingual Learners were enchanted by the timeless tale of Cinderella at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport. Everyone enjoyed watching the show! For many students, this was their first time seeing a staged performance!

    A stage is set for a performance of Cinderella, with a large screen displaying the title and imagery.A large group of students stands outside a brick building with the sign 'Town Sports'.

    A diverse group of children and adults stand together on a sidewalk outside a brick building.A group of young people stand together in front of a stage with colorful lights.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    Two young girls are focused on a science experiment with wires and a circuit board.

    Kindergarten students participated in a STEM lesson in their classroom. Students listened to directions and discussed how to problem solve in order to create electrical circuits.

    Four smiling children stand behind a table in a classroom, holding a book and a beach ball.

    First grade students used prompts on a beach ball to participate in discussion about characters in a story.  This was a fun way to engage them in listening and speaking. 

    Handwritten poem on lined paper with the title 'DHS' and sensory observations.A drawing of a pug with a headband above a handwritten list of words: Happy, Energetic, Lovely, Eats Sushi Sometimes, Nice needs encouragement, Angry sometimes.

    Second graders have been learning about how poems look different from other genres of writing.

    A young boy looks at the camera while sitting at a table with a laptop and papers.

    Third graders using their native language to support learning about wolves.

    Three students write on a whiteboard about the parts of graphic novels, including panels, gutters, and speech bubbles.

    Fourth graders are currently studying graphic novels. Here they are brainstorming all the different parts of a graphic novel before making their own!

    Two children collaborate on a tablet at a round table in a classroom.

    Fifth graders are loving the unit on fantasy reading and writing. They have engaged in many discussions about fantasy characters and stories.

    Students work on laptops at a blue table in a classroom.

    Sixth graders are pretending to be the governor of CT, meeting with the reporters to discuss the problems immigrants face in CT, stating the solutions to those problems, and sharing their plans to resolve those issues.

    A table displays information in Spanish, with columns for 'Periodo', 'Caracterundefinedsticas Principales', 'Ubicaciundefinedn Geogrundefinedfica', and 'Interacciundefinedn Humana'.

    In Middle School, English 8 is reading the graphic novel, New Kid by Jerry Craft. We are focusing on characters’ perspective, finding evidence such as dialogue, action, and images of text.

    Three students stand in front of a classroom bulletin board, holding signs and a large poster.

    At Hamden High School, English Learners (ELs) are actively learning how to construct robust paragraphs using the T-BEAR writing organization. This structured approach helps them organize their ideas effectively and create coherent and well-supported paragraphs.

    A straw hat and sunglasses rest on a stack of colorful books on a sandy beach.

    SUMMER IDEAS

    Illustration with text 'READ, RENEW, REPEAT' featuring children and a moose in a mountain landscape.

    Useful links

    1. Fun Brain
    2. PBS Kids
    3. ABC Ya
    4. International Children’s Digital Library (multiple languages)

    ???????Students who HAVE an Imagine Language & Literacy Account will have access until August 16, 2024

    A friendly blue cartoon robot with big eyes waves its hand.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN May 17 2024 2:59 PM

    On April 24, 2024, Grades 4-6 Multilingual Learners were enchanted by the timeless tale of Cinderella at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport. Everyone enjoyed watching the show! For many students, this was their first time seeing a staged performance!

    A stage is set for a performance of Cinderella, with a large screen displaying the title.A large group of students stands outside a brick building with the sign 'Town Sports'.

    A diverse group of children and adults stand in a line outside a brick building.A group of young people stand together in front of a stage with colorful lights.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Apr 9 2024 1:07 PM

    Activities at Hamden Public Library

    Click on an image below to learn more about the program.

    A yellow daffodil with green leaves next to the text 'Daffodil Grab & Go'.

    All Month - Grab and Go Craft

    Colorful letters spell out 'STORY TIME' in a whimsical, floral design against a sky and grassy background.

    Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - Spring Story Hour for ages 3-8

    A colorful graphic advertises the 'Come and Play Life-Sized Land of Frozen-Treats Game'.

    Wednesday, April 17, 2024 - Land of Frozen Treats (Life-Sized Game)

    Thursday, April 18, 2024 - Game On! for Grades 7-12

    A red barn stands in a grassy field with the text 'Brooksvale Park Hamden, CT' overlaid.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Mar 13 2024 9:00 AM

    Logo for Multilingual Learners Hamden Public Schools featuring a globe.

    ML MESSENGER

    News from the Multilingual Learners Department
    Hamden Public Schools

     Spring 2024: Conferences Edition

    During the school year, teachers will invite you to come to parent-teacher meetings (also called conferences). This is very common in the United States. 

    The conference gives you a chance to talk with your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher will probably talk about your child’s grades, classwork, homework, and behavior. You will learn more about your child’s classes, and find out if your child is having any problems. Here are some tips for conferences:

    Before the conference

    • Ask your child how she feels about school.
    • Ask your child if there is anything that he wants you to talk about with his teacher.
    • Tell your child that you and the teacher are meeting to help her.
    • Make a list of topics that you want to talk about with the teacher.
    • Prepare a list of questions such as:
    1. What are my child's strongest and weakest subjects?
    2. Does my child hand homework in on time?
    3. Does my child participate in class?
    4. Does my child seem happy at school?
    5. What can I do at home to help?

    During the conference

    • Be on time (or early) for the meeting.
    • End the meeting on time. Other parents will probably have a conference after yours.
    • Relax and be yourself.
    • Stay calm during the conference.
    • Ask the most important questions first.
    • If your child receives special services such as English classes, ask about your child's progress in those classes.
    • Ask for explanations of anything you don't understand
    • Ask your child's teacher for ways that you can help your child at home.
    • Thank the teacher.

    After the conference

    • Talk about the conference with your child.
    • Talk about the positive points, and be direct about problems.
    • Tell your child about any plans you and the teacher created.
    • Keep in touch with the teacher during the school year.

    MARCH

    • 3/5: HHS Conferences
    • 3/6: HMS Conferences
    • 3/21: ½ Day HMS/HHS/ Prof. Development Day
    • 3/25: Elementary Evening Conferences
    • 3/26: ½ Day Elementary Afternoon Conferences
    • 3/27: ½ Day Elementary Evening Conferences
    • Holidays & Observations
    • 3/1-3/30: Women’s History Month
    • 3/8: Int’l Women’s Day
    • 3/10-4/9: Ramadan
    • 3/17: St. Patrick’s Day 
    • 3/20: Nowruz
    • 3/24: Purim 
    • 3/25: Holi 
    • 3/31: Easter 
    • 3/31: Cesar Chavez Day

    LanguageLine Solutions

    The logo displays 'LanguageLine Solutions' in white text on a blue background.

    Hamden Public Schools offers LanguageLine Solutions to assist communicating with families who speak a language other than English. This service is available for in-person conferences (your phone can be placed on speaker mode). If you need a translator for conferences, please contact your student’s teacher and EL/ML Teacher.

    TalkingPoints

    A person holds a phone, with a speech bubble saying 'Hello! Have a great school year!'

    We encourage you to use TalkingPoints in order to communicate with your EL/ML teacher in your home languages and build strong partnerships all year long. This is a FREE program.

    HIGHLIGHTS

    Children work on assignments on the floor of a classroom with a large whiteboard.

    2nd graders are learning about animal life cycles. Here they are comparing and contrasting the life cycle of a chicken and the life cycle of a frog by using a venn digram.

    A diverse group of elementary school students sit on a colorful rug in a classroom, looking at the camera.

    Ms. Lapman visited 1st graders at Bear Path School for Read Across America Day. She read “Maybe Something Beautiful” by Isabel Campoy and Theresa Howell, and she gave students a “care” package to take home.

    Students wearing headphones work on laptops at desks in a classroom decorated with flags.

    Fourth graders are researching a severe weather of their choice. Soon they will make a pamphlet complete with photos to present to their class.

    A young student writes on a whiteboard in a classroom, with notes about immigration visible.

    6th graders listened the story 'Mama's  Nightingale'. Here they are sharing the problems that immigrant family in the story faced in the U.S.A.

    Four students are focused on their work at a round table in a classroom.

    In Grade 5, students are examining different perspectives of an argument. Students are also learning how to support an argument with facts and reasons.

    Two children sit at a table, drawing and writing, with a large chart and a book displayed.

    First grade students have returned to reading fictional text and identifying elements of a story. Here, students have personal word banks and are accessing the anchor chart for vocabulary and sentence frame support.  

    A young boy sits at a blue table, engrossed in reading a colorful picture book.

    Third graders are reading fairy tales and analyzing the villain.

    A teacher stands by a large interactive screen, instructing a classroom of students seated at desks.

    Grade 7 is preparing for an assessment on theme. Students watched a short film and worked together to come up with themes and evidence to support the theme.

    A whiteboard displays a list titled 'Behind The Buik' with numbered points and a 'Key Vocabulary' section.

    Students at the high school are enhancing their reading comprehension skills by summarizing short stories or informational texts using graphic organizers.

    TIPS FOR FAMILIES

    Logo and text for the Parent Bill of Rights for English Learners/Multilingual Learners.

    A yellow hand cradles a heart-shaped globe with the word 'WELCOME' on it, under the text 'CULTURAL CORNER'.

    A smiling young person with a backpack stands in front of text that reads 'School is better with YOU!'.A smiling young man with a backpack holds folders, with "en la escuela, cada dundefineda" text and doodles on a lined background.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Feb 12 2024 1:50 PM

    Logo for Multilingual Learners Hamden Public Schools featuring a globe.

    ML MESSENGER

    News from the
    Multilingual Learners Department
    Hamden Public Schools

    WINTER 2024

    Building Communities Night

    A group of children and adults are seated at a long table, engaged in an activity.

    In December, families gathered at the Thornton Wilder Auditorium at the Hamden Public Library for an enjoyable evening of bingo and pizza! Our next Building Communities Night will be held on April 4, 2024 at the Hamden Public Library. More information to come!

    LAS Links Annual Assessment

    Our students have completed the annual LAS Links Assessment. Scores will be sent home in Mid-May. In order to achieve “exit” status as a Multilingual Learner, a student must obtain the following on the LAS Links Assessment:

    • an overall Level 4 or 5 on the LAS Links
    • a Reading score of 4 or higher
    • a Writing score of 4 or higher

    Field Trip for Grades 4, 5 and 6

    A sparkling glass slipper is depicted on a blue background with the text 'Cinderella April 13 - May 10'.

    On Wednesday, April 24, 2024, we will be taking the 4th, 5th, and 6th grade Multilingual Learner students to see “Cinderella” at the Downtown Cabaret Theatre in Bridgeport. Details and permission slips will be sent home the first week in March.

    Parent Bill of Rights

    Logo and text for the Parent Bill of Rights for English Learners/Multilingual Learners.

    The state Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt a “bill of rights” for non-English speaking parents. This will ensure families understand they are entitled to enroll their child in public education, regardless of immigration status, and receive translation services and important documents in their native language. A copy of the the Parent Bill of Rights will be available this Spring in multiple languages.

    A flyer titled 'Absences: What to Know' with tips on school attendance and a photo of a man and child looking at a tablet.A poster with the title 'Faltas Escolares: Quundefined Hacer' (School Absences: What to Do) in Spanish, offering advice on school attendance.

    A colorful illustration promoting "Healthy Habits for Healthy Smiles" with cartoon teeth and children in a bathroom setting.A colorful illustration promoting healthy habits for healthy smiles, featuring anthropomorphic teeth and healthy foods.

    STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS

    A diagram labeling elements of a city scene, including buildings, cars, and people.

    Students in primary grades are working on vocabulary development.

    First grade students (picture on right) are learning about the world around them. We began the unit with a visual of our topic. Students discussed the visual and together we completed a web of connected words. With support of the visual, web, and sentence frame, students were able to tell about the topic orally and in writing.

    Children focus on writing and drawing at a blue table with worksheets and a whiteboard.

    Second graders (pictured on left) are learning about fables. This week they were looking for vocabulary words in “The Fox and the Grapes.” 

    Three children focus on their drawing and writing assignments at a blue table.

    Third graders (pictured on right) are learning about mysteries. Students read “The Ghost Town Mystery” on Epic and identified clues throughout the story. Picture are third grades

    Two students collaborate on a large poster project, writing and drawing.A whiteboard displays a mind map with handwritten notes and small printed images, organized into sections labeled 'Happy', 'Excited', and 'Fearful'.

    Some of our fourth graders were learning about synonyms. Students were given the word synonym in their native languages (Spanish, French & Pashto). Then students were given English translation with photos to match.

    Cartoon illustration of one person pointing at another person riding a goat, with text 'Get someone's goat!' above.

    Fifth graders are learning about idioms. Idioms are phrases that have a different meaning from their literal meaning.

    We have also been looking for the theme in stories we read. Students have been asked, ‘What message can we learn from this story?’

    A person's hand holding a pencil writes on a white sheet of paper on a blue surface.

    Sixth graders are working on vocabulary development for the Social Issues Unit. Students were given a word and discussed the meaning of the word by looking at a picture. Students then wrote a definition in their own words.

    Students and a teacher collaborate around a table with laptops and papers.

    ELA 8 is working on how to take notes by using an informational text. Students are working hard on setting up the notes and identifying main ideas and central ideas. 

    Book cover for 'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros, 25th Anniversary Edition.A colorful chart outlines the TP-CASTT poetry analysis method, with each letter representing a step.

    HHS 9TH Graders are working on creating a "My Home" prose piece (creative nonfiction) as they read 'The House on Mango Street' by Sandra Cisneros. Sophomores are working on analyzing poetry from 'Where the Sidewalk Ends' using TP-CASTT.

    PARENT TIPS

    • Check that your child’s homework is completed.
    • Ask your child to tell you about the school day. Asking your child about their day opens up a world of stories, giggles, and precious insights!
    • Find a way to keep in regular contact with the teacher or school staff member usually email or in person is best.
      Make sure your child gets enough rest and comes to school each day.
    • Develop a homework routine.
    • Read together 20-30 minutes each night.
    • Go to Colorin Colorado Website for some great articles on how to help your child.

     

    RESOURCES

    FEBRUARY

    • 2/1: Black History Month 
    • 2/2: Groundhog Day
    • 2/5: Rosa Parks’ Day
    • 2/10: Lunar New Year
    • 2/15: Early Dismissal (Teachers have Professional Development)
    • 2/16-19: Winter Recess (No School)
    • 2/19: Presidents’ Day (No School) 

    WELCOME MS. G!

    In January, we welcomed Ms. Gonzalez as our new EL Teacher at Church Street School!

    A young woman with dark hair smiles at the camera, wearing a striped shirt and a green lanyard.

    A graphic promoting an Instagram account with the handle @englishhamden.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN May 27 2021 3:10 PM

    Last night, we held our final Building Communities - Family Night on Zoom. Our students had a great time sharing their Jamboards and playing Kahoot! We hope everyone has an amazing summer. We can't wait for next year's Building Communities events!

    A grid of video call participants, likely students, engaged in an online class.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Jan 18 2021 11:50 AM

    Poster announces 'Building Communities Family Night' on Wednesday, January 20th, from 6-7pm, featuring Talking Points and a Scavenger Hunt with prizes.

    Building Communities Family Night

    Wednesday, January 20, 2021

    6-7pm

    Come join us to learn more about the Talking Points app, and then play a Scavenger Hunt!

    Prizes for 1st, 2nd, 3rd place winners!

    See Zoom Link in your child's EL Google Classroom.

  • ELIZABETH LAPMAN Jun 19 2020 9:27 AM

    A stage with red curtains and a podium, featuring a sign congratulating 2020 English Learners.

    We are very proud of all of our English Learners who met the exit criteria on the annual LAS Links assessment. Continue to work hard and practice your English!

    Visit your child's EL Google Classroom to watch the virtual ceremony. 

    Congratulations!

    Ms. Lapman, Ms. Ciaburri-Rodriguez, Ms. Dow, Ms. Knoblauch, Ms. Mauro, Ms. Piscitelle, Ms. Rende, Mr. Sousa, and Mr. Thomas